


Iterasai Party

by Folqueraine



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Live Action TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/F, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:42:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4046395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Folqueraine/pseuds/Folqueraine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei has something to tell Minako before she undergoes surgery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Iterasai Party

**Author's Note:**

> I over-ambitiously set to write a collection of fics pairing all the senshi and all the shitennou together - including the senshis together and the shitennou together.
> 
> Obviously this never came to be, this is the only one that I completed. It's meant as a "behind-the-scene" scene. The character death is only implied, but I tagged it since it's canon-compliant.
> 
> The song extract and the last paragraph are straight from the show.

“Iterasai party? What's that?” Minako asked.  
  
“What I mean is, let's have a party to wish you good luck for your surgery,” Rei explained, leaning forward. “Then of course we'll have a 'Welcome Back' party too!”  
  
Rei had never been a party girl, but the relief had been such when Minako had agreed to the surgery that she felt like celebrating. Ami came, bringing coloured drinks on a tray.  
  
“We can't make it very big, but...”  
  
“Rei,” Makoto continued, “How about tomorrow, or the day after?”  
  
“Thank you. Tomorrow I have my examination for my surgery,” Minako said with a pinch, “but the day after is fine.”  
  
“Then it's decided!” Rei said.  
  
“In return, I'll present my upcoming debut album.”  
  
“Really!” Makoto squeed. She was as much of a Minako fan as Usagi. “That's so great! I've got to let Usagi know!”  
  
Makoto reached for her phone, but Minako stopped her gesture.  
  
“It'd be more fun to keep it a secret!”  
  
“Sounds good!” Ami agreed.  
  
“Let's imagine what kind of face she'll make!” Rei added. The girls made their best “No way!” face, Minako joining in the fun. She hadn't had much fun this last year, and it was good to let go a little. But she couldn't stay.  
  
“Well, I've got work to do,” she excused herself. 'I've got a letter to write', she added to herself. She took her handbag and stood up.  
  
“Day after tomorrow, right?” Makoto added.  
  
“Later!” Rei said, and Minako waved back to her as she climbed up the stairs. She felt a cold hand seize her heart as she reached the door, and she had to turn to look back at Rei a last time, stretching the eye contact as long as she could without looking awkward.  
  
'Time to go,' she told herself. She would make sure to let Rei know, but she just couldn't tell it to her face. It'd make things harder. Rei wasn't stupid, she'd guess something was wrong if Minako suddenly spilled her heart. Hell, maybe she wouldn't need the letter at all.  
  
Rei wasn't stupid, and she wasn't insensitive either. Her intuition had always been one of her strong points, and as she saw Minako walk through the door, she too felt a cold wave run through her core.  
  
Rei, Ami and Makoto discussed Minako's surgery for a moment, debating whether to tell Usagi about it. They agreed that they would only tell her after Minako had come out of surgery, and once more Rei's good mood was dampened. They were taking it for granted that the surgery would be successful, but Rei remembered only too well that, according to Minako herself, the risks outweighed the chances of success.  
  
But then again, without surgery, she was sure to die...  
  
Rei looked at Minako's empty seat, and tried to imagine a future without her. Minako hadn't been part of her life for very long, but the thought that she might never see her again, never talk to her... drove an icy spell of anguish to the deepest part of her heart.  
  
She stood up before she realized she'd made a decision.  
  
“Rei?” Ami asked.  
  
“I've just remembered... there's something I forgot. I need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?” She nearly ran out of the door after grabbing her things.  
  
She needed to talk to Minako.  
  
Once in the street, she pulled herself together. She had no idea where she would find her. At her studio? No point in wasting time, Rei thought as she pulled out her phone and dialled Minako.  
  
“Rei? Is everything alright?” Minako's voice welcomed her, bringing a wave of relief to Rei.  
  
“Minako. I... I wanted to see you. There's something I'd like to tell you. Please, can I see you now?”  
  
“ … Of course. I’m at the hotel, do you want to come here or should we catch up outside?”  
  
“I'll join you. Just give me the address.”

  


Minako opened the door at the first knock, taking Rei by surprise. She got a grip on herself and stepped in. Minako closed the door and leant back against it.  
  
“What did you want to talk about, Mars?”  
  
“You could call me Rei by now.”  
  
“I'm sorry, Rei. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that... I still remember you from the past life...”  
  
“I don't. Minako...” Rei sighed, looked to the left, as if looking for an escape, then down, before gathering the courage to look Minako in the eyes.  
  
“I'm scared, about the surgery.”  
  
Minako smiled her usual smile. The one Rei had come to call her sad smile, although she seemed to be the only one able to see through it.  
  
“I am, too.” Minako confessed, and Rei's eyes went wide in surprise. She hadn't expected Minako to show weakness. Not that there was anything wrong with it, on the contrary.  
  
“I started thinking,” Rei continued, “about the chances that... Well, there's a chance that you might not survive...” Her eyes teared up, and she looked away again. “and I thought of all the things I told you before, when we were arguing. As Mars, and as Rei...”  
  
“Rei, I know you've... changed your mind.” Minako interrupted her.  
  
“You do?”  
  
“We're... friends, now, aren't we?” Minako asked tentatively. “If that's what you wanted to say...”  
  
“I like you very much, Minako. I wanted you to know that. We've disagreed on a lot of things, and I’m sure there are still things we don't agree upon, but I wanted you to know how much... I like you. I’m sorry if I seemed like... I didn't trust your judgement. It wasn't true. I do trust you a lot. I wanted you to know that, in case, I know the chances are pretty low...”  
  
“I care for you a lot.”  
  
That cut Rei's speech short.  
  
“I wanted you to know that too, Rei. I’m not resentful for our previous disagreements. The chances of it going wrong... they're not so low, you know that, right?”  
  
Rei nodded silently, before saying: “But, it's still more hopeful than not undergoing the surgery, right? You wouldn't... take an unnecessary risk, right?”  
  
Minako shook her head.  
  
“Before I met you... I wanted to spend all my remaining energy fighting the Dark Kingdom. You've made me see that, perhaps, there is a chance for Aino Minako to live beyond Sailor Venus. You've made me see that I can try to keep on the fight and live, too.”  
  
Rei wandered through the room, fussing with cushions and ornamental objects.  
  
“You must find me ridiculous, pouring my heart out like that, like it's the last time I’m seeing you. I’m sorry, I should be more hopeful instead of making it look like- ”  
  
Minako follower her and put her hands on Rei's shoulders.  
  
“I'm glad you came. It gives me something to fight for. It makes me feel like I've someone to come back to, as Minako, and not only my mission as a senshi.”  
  
Rei turned to face her. “You sound so alone...”  
  
“I was, until I met you, Rei. I care for you a lot,” she repeated, trying to convey the depth of her feelings to Rei.  
  
Rei watched her with a puzzled look for a few seconds before letting a small gasp out.  
  
“You... Minako...” Rei wasn't good with words, she'd never been. She took Minako's arm and rested her forehead against Minako's.  
  
“Shh... you don't have to speak,” and Minako's lips on her effectively shut her up. Rei shuddered at the softness and warmth of Minako's lips and felt herself responding to the kiss, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, as if it wasn't something of which, until now, the perspective had terrified her.  
  
After a moment Minako drew back, and, resting her head on Rei's shoulder, added: “This isn't a goodbye kiss, Rei. This is a promise.”  
  
Rei mimicked Minako and hid her face in Minako's hair, enjoying its softness and the fruity perfume of her shampoo.  
  
“I believe you.” she answered.  
  
She couldn't see the tear run down Minako's cheek.

  


_“Why the teary face?_  
_Sorry! All I do is tease you._  
_But face forward, and look._  
_See how brave you can be... (...)_  
_The time we spent is forever.”_

  


_Everyone, I bet you're surprised that this happened so suddenly. I’m also surprised, I guess. I bet Mars is mad. But I don't regret anything because I was able to live as Aino Minako to the very end. ... But we were born with a fate from our past life. I think that we will be our true selves when we manage to overcome that. Just like I became myself. I’m sorry we couldn't fight together to the very end. … I love you._


End file.
